The Burden Of Knowledge
by WickedGame
Summary: My long entry for the Moments of Rapture 2006 contest. The burden of knowledge is great and weighs heavy on Heero Yuy. He alone has the power to stop the death of someone he cares for. What if he makes the wrong choice? 12


Title: The Burden of Knowledge

Category: Romance, action/adventure, drama

Rating: PG-13 or T, depending on where you look.

Warnings: Shounen ai, foul language.

Spoilers: None

Notes: Written for the Moment's of Rapture 2005/2006 'Mission: Get Together' Contest. I would like to thank the following people who have beta-ed this work at one time or another: Ammendiana, Jess-Eklom, Prynesque, my pal Lore, Keiichi Sei, Laureena, Vega-Lume, and FantasyOrReality. Without them this would not have been possible. This fic was inspired by the first verse of the song "Silent Lucidity" by Queensryche.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

A head shining with sweat shook back and forth on the large pillow.

_"Duo Maxwell will die"_

A stiff hand grasped futilely at the air around him.

_"No one can stop it"_

A soft whimper escaped pale lips.

_"You will never know"_

A lithe limb kicked at the rough cotton blanket.

_"Only you can save him, Heero. Only you."_

Toes curled in fear.

_"Follow your emotions and maybe…"_

Heero Yuy shot up in his bed, soaked in sweat and gasping for breath. The cotton sheets clung to his bare body, held there by the salty liquid that was still issuing from his pores. He buried his face in his hands, and was stunned to find that he had been crying. The tears were coming forth in gentle, sad drops. He wiped his eyes and looked around his room, re-orienting himself.

The recurring nightmare had been plaguing him for weeks, but before they had never let him see the body on the table. Tonight had taken him farther than ever, taken him to see Duo dead. His heart still racing, Heero tried to commit the dream to memory. It was already beginning to escape him and he knew he needed to remember it. Knowledge was power after all.

The first night he had entered that dreamscape, he had only gotten as far as a gypsy tent where a wizened old woman read the tarot. Every night thereafter had shown only a little bit more. A giant fortune cookie, a rabbit hole, old men dressed in sterile white scrubs… those were the images that had lasted the longest in his mind until tonight. Tonight the dream had borne its final fruit. He finally had some answers to what seemed to be endless questions. He knew he had been feeling almost stressed with the anticipation of it all.

Heero tossed his covers off and climbed out of bed. He padded out into the kitchen in his bare feet and poured himself a glass of purified water. He made his way to his laptop and woke his computer. The early time of three in the morning glinted back at him, which made him frown briefly before checking his email. He checked his various public email addresses before checking his secure mail. There was one new message, received at about midnight. Heero clicked on the message, and was slightly shocked when he saw its content.

_To: 01_

_From: 02_

_Re: (no subject)_

_I know where you are. Stay there. Need to meet, will be there before the 23rd. Tell no one._

Heero deleted the email and sat back, his glass of water forgotten.

Heero Yuy did not think he was a superstitious man, but why had he gotten an email from Duo right after the final sequence in the dream? Nothing felt right about anything of it, especially the tone of the email. Duo always had one or two wisecracks up his sleeve, but this email was devoid of humor. And it must have been very important for Sally to confess where he had been holed up. Sally was the one they reported to. She, in turn, reported to Lady Une.

Heero was in the L2 colony cluster to do some serious bank hacking. He was hacking terrorist funds and freezing certain accounts while trying to leave no trace of his activities. This was something only a handful of Preventer agents could do, and Sally had said something about Heero needing some time away from Earth. He had not protested when given the assignment. He had been there for a few months now, living in a small apartment by himself. He only left to shop and to walk around for a bit every day. Other than that he kept to himself.

About eight months ago, Heero had decided that he did not want to be in the position of having to go out into the field and kill. That part of his life was over as far as he was concerned. He still carried a gun, but only for protection. He still had a lot of weapons with him, but only for emergencies. If there was a bad guy right in front of him he would take him out without hesitation, but he would more than likely be upset about it for some time afterwards. So, Sally and Une had decided that given his abilities, he would be better suited to their Technology Crime division – which for Heero meant he got to hack into computers and actually get paid for it. That suited him just fine. He thought that maybe someday he might move on to something else, get away from Preventers completely even, but he had not seen the need for it yet.

Heero was confused as to why Duo needed to see him now of all times. They had not spoken to each other in a year, not since their last stay in a safe house together. Duo had taken off that night without warning. Heero knew why now, after a lot of thinking; but at the time he had been clueless. He just could not see why Duo wanted to see him after that at all.

But the timing of it all was just weird.

&&&

When Heero heard the knock on the door shortly before eleven in the evening on the 22nd he reached for his handgun and moved to the side of the door.

"Name," he demanded through the wooden door.

"Let me in damnit!" Duo's voice sounded downright desperate. Heero undid the various locks and ushered Duo in. He closed the door again and re-latched everything.

Heero turned to look at Duo. Duo looked terribly harried: his braid was half-undone, and he looked like he had not slept decently in quite some time. He had a duffel bag and a backpack with him, but nothing else. He dropped the duffel and set the backpack down.

"Something to drink?" Heero asked.

"No time. Bring a duffel bag and a backpack. Pack all your weapons and maybe one change of clothing. We need to leave," Duo paced the floor worriedly.

"Now?" Heero asked.

"Like yesterday Heero!" Duo snapped. Heero raised an eyebrow but went to do as Duo asked. The former Deathscythe pilot rarely snapped. When he did, you knew to listen. Heero threw every weapon he had into a bag, and packed the requested clothing. He packed his laptop up and threw his leather bomber jacket on before he faced Duo once again. Duo gave Heero a malicious grin.

"Let's go," he said. Heero opened the door to let Duo through. Duo stopped and looked back at his apartment.

"Is there anyone else in the building?" he asked quickly.

"There is a couple on the first floor, and an old lady two doors down," Heero told him.

"Well, then burning this place down won't work," Duo chewed his lip, "Shit, we will just have to leave it as is. I'll throw a few smoke bombs down at the first floor. That should be enough to distract them."

"Who are we talking about?" Heero asked.

"The people who are after you. There's no time now, they're probably on their way," Duo whisked himself out the door, and Heero followed quickly. Duo rummaged around in his pocket. When they reached the first floor Duo threw a handful of capsules behind him. They exploded into clouds of grey smoke as they exited the building.

"Can you tell me anything else?" Heero asked as they walked briskly down the L2 streets.

"Not yet. In the car," Duo finally stopped in front of a two- door coupe. He opened the trunk and they stowed their bags. They got in and took off at top speed.

Heero stopped paying attention to where Duo was going after the third or fourth turn, and started to ask questions.

"Where are we going?" was the first question out of his mouth.

"Safe house," Duo smirked.

Heero smirked back, "Why are we going there?"

"I need to brief you on a situation," Duo told him, keeping his eyes on the road.

"You are being evasive. What situation?" Heero growled.

Duo took a deep breath and then exhaled, "The other three pilots have been abducted".

"What?" Heero tried to keep his tone even, but he knew he sounded shocked.

"Three separate places, three separate days, same modus operandi. Today is the fourth day. And I believe that you were their next target," Duo let out a deep breath that he had seemed to have been holding.

"Why was I not notified?" Heero asked.

"Because Une didn't think they would come after you. She insisted that you had covered your tracks too damned well and that no one in their right mind would take you on. She was right about that part, but there is something else: Sally and I don't believe these people are in their right minds. They issued their ransom message earlier today," Duo took a breath, "A new gundam for them to use, and two billion credits, unmarked and untraceable".

"The Preventers do not negotiate with terrorists," Heero said flatly, "They were just going to let it happen. They were going to let them die instead of giving in. I would have died with them. The right decision, but not something that we could sit idly by and let happen," he added, then looked at Duo, "What about you?"

"I move around too much. I would've been too hard to nail down. But the others were in stable positions, and had been where they were for a little while. They had a routine. They were all taken in the middle of the night after being sedated with some kind of smoke. I know they were after you. Sally contacted me and told me everything, and sent me all the info that we would need to rescue them. She is pretty confident that Une is not going to take any action. She believes that the terrorists will kill the guys. She also believes that none of them know that the others are there. They must be keeping them in separate buildings in the compound. It's an old OZ compound," Duo explained.

"So we are going to the safe house to plan," Heero guessed.

"There is one more thing you need to know, although I bet you have already guessed," Duo stated.

"We are not doing this as Preventers, but as former Gundam pilots. We are more than likely going to get fired over this, right?" Heero asked.

"Bingo buddy. You hit the nail on the head. This is just like old times. Free reign, and no rules. We go in to rescue our friends or die trying. You up for that?" Duo grinned maniacally and Heero laughed.

"Life was getting boring anyway, right? But if we have all the information needed to rescue them and they are that crazy and incompetent then how come they do not send a special ops team into rescue them, just like we would be doing? Why are they not doing something official?" Heero was confused, a feeling he did not enjoy. What was going on at headquarters?

"Une and her upper advisors are convinced that this man must be some kind of mad genius to have kidnapped the guys in the first place. To tell the truth, I do not know for sure why they did not do everything you just said. It makes no sense to me. But I am not going to sit by and wait for the wheels of government to turn as slowly as they do. Action needed to be taken, and taken immediately. You would be with them now if I had not taken the action I did, with or without permission," Duo shook his head in pity, "But like I said, Sally and I think he must be some kind of insane guy with a huge streak of blind luck. I won't lie to you, Heero, but I think that this guy is one banana short of a bunch. What kind of man kidnaps the gundam pilots and seriously thinks he can ransom them for a new gundam and enough money to make even Quatre's family happy?

Une just won't listen to anyone lately. Sometimes I just think about leaving Preventers so I do not have to deal with that woman ever again! I want to think that Une is not sending anyone because she does not feel like the manpower is worth using. Three agents, all kidnapped from home, and all volatile ex-terrorists? It's like a dream come true for her. She gets to make them martyrs for the cause of peace in their memories, and she did not have to do anything at all to save them because she was just following the damned policies! But I do not know if that is what is going on or anything," Duo had been so livid it had made him nauseous when he first figured that if Heero was to be saved in time that some sacrifices would have to be made, but now he had downgraded to just a genuine sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hated to think what would have happened if he had not reached Heero in time.

&&&

They drove for over an hour before Duo finally turned down an alleyway. They parked the car and ran inside the small cottage that was serving as a Preventer safe house, their stuff in tow.

"Okay, lay it out," Heero told Duo. Duo pulled a roll of papers out of his duffle bag and weighted down the corners with cans from the cupboards.

"This is the whole compound," Duo told him, gesturing at the blown-up picture, "It's on L1. Four total buildings. These three," Duo pointed at each with a slim finger, "These are where I think they are hiding our pals. Now, I have blueprints for each building," Duo brought three other blueprint sheets out from underneath the main picture.

"They would be hiding them in the most secure rooms, more than likely right in the middle of the building," Heero scanned the blueprints and then pointed out the most likely locations.

"Yeah. Well, we can't head out until morning, so we might as well get some shut eye," Duo stretched his long limbs, and Heero let himself look out of the corner of his eye. Duo was lean from top to bottom, like a dancer. Just as he remembered.

"Have you had dinner?" Heero asked.

"No. Wanna grab something?" Duo reached into his pocket and brought out a wad of cash.

"Where did the money come from?" Heero asked.

"You aren't the only one who knows how to hack a bank Heero," Duo grinned happily.

They walked out after carefully surveying the area and found a deli that was open late. They returned to the safe house with a couple of sandwiches and bottles of water. They sat at the table and ate quietly. When he was finished Heero wiped his mouth with a napkin and cleared his throat. Duo stopped his eating and set his sandwich down.

"What?" he asked.

"I think we need to clear the air about what happened. It may cause undue stress, and we both need to be committed to finding our friends," Heero leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Do you know anything about body language?" Duo asked suddenly.

"Some, why?"

"Crossing your arms like that makes it seem like you're defensive and uncomfortable," Duo explained. Heero uncrossed his arms and sat up straight. Duo laughed, "Heero, you have the complete right to feel defensive and uncomfortable. It won't be easy to talk about it, even I know that".

"I punched you," Heero stated.

"I punched you back," Duo shrugged.

"I feel like I should have done things in an entirely different way that night," Heero added.

"Heero, I was drunk as a skunk. I came in, started yelling at you, and then I kissed you. In your position, I would've probably decked me too," Duo shrugged.

"You had questions, and I offered no answers, and I want to explain that. I never got a chance to," Heero offered.

"You don't have to. It's not like you even liked me," Duo obviously was trying to sound nonchalant.

"How do you even know that? You never showed one sign that you were even interested before that. You never outright came and asked me, 'Heero, do you like guys? Because I like you'," Heero felt the frustration in his voice.

"I was trying to tell you that night but I was drunk; and drunk people aren't the most articulate people," Duo pointed out.

"Why did you go out and get drunk that night? I never asked, but I was extremely upset that you compromised the mission that way," Heero did not know if he really wanted to know the answer to this question, but he had been curious about the reason for some time now.

"Do you ever get so tired of examining something that it makes you want to pull your hair out? Like you've looked and looked and still can't figure it out? The reason I went and got drunk was because you were the thing I couldn't figure out. I was at my wit's end trying. So I went and drank until I thought I could forget. It didn't work. So then I came back, and I asked you questions. I had other questions I could've asked, but then I had to go and kiss you."

"I can offer some answers to the questions you did end up asking. I didn't have some answers then. I do have them now," Heero told him.

"Okay, shoot," Duo looked him right in the eye.

"They were your questions, you ask them again," Heero insisted.

"How did you manage to sit there, day after day, using a computer and not interacting with any of us?" Duo asked.

"You mean you. You want to know why I did not interact with you," Heero stipulated.

"Okay, me then. Why did you insist on ignoring me?" Duo asked.

"I admit, I did ignore you; but that was only because of the mission. I always knew that when the war was done I may have time to get to know all of you better, but we all spent so little time together that the only constant was the endless string of missions we undertook. I wanted to get them done, get them out of the way. I wanted there to be peace, and the quicker the better. You talked all the time. I did listen, but I did not think you were as serious about it as I was. I know you were there to fight, but it seemed that you were a bit more flippant about it. I have thought a lot about it, you know. And I think that you were just as serious, but you were not trained to be as single-minded as I was. You were serious, but in your own way. I did not have time to entertain you or any of the others," Heero explained it as best as he could.

"Okay. I can get that. Now, the next question I asked you I think was some question about your emotions. I think I wanted to know how you could always look like you felt nothing. No one is that close to being made of stone," Duo waited for an answer.

"I looked like it because I was trying to force myself into not feeling anything. Not only that, but I do not think I knew how to feel anything. I still don't know if I can. I think I was scared. Scared that if I did show any bias to any of you that someone would pick up on it, and then you would be compromised," Heero tried to say it as best as he could.

"And then I think I wanted to know how come you couldn't feel the same way I did," Duo lowered his voice during this question.

"How do you know I didn't?" Heero asked him. Duo looked up, his violet eyes suspicious.

"Did you?" Duo asked.

"I don't know, Duo. Do you think I have ever had any experience in liking anyone? That was not exactly covered in training. Was I attracted to you? Maybe. I had not given it much thought to tell you the truth. I always said that after the war I would maybe explore every hunch I had not had the luxury of exploring during the war. But I had not done so by the time we were staying in that safe house. I had not found the time. And so I still did not know what to think about you. You always fascinated me Duo, but back then I had not a clue what to do with you. Odin always told me to follow my emotions. I should have taken that advice more to heart," Heero was full of regrets, and not following the best piece of advice he had ever been given was one of the biggest ones.

"And then I grabbed you, and I kissed you," Duo rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, willing the bad memory to go away.

"I have thought a lot about that over time. I came to a conclusion: I did not completely hate it," Heero told him.

"What?" Duo was incredulous.

"I did not completely hate it. If I had time to process it again, I would say I rather liked it," Heero added. He did like it. He had replayed that scene a great many times in his mind over the time they had been apart.

"I heard you the first time, damnit. You punched me over that!"

"Knee-jerk reaction," Heero ran his hand through his hair, "I really am no good at this, Duo."

"I kissed you, and you punched me, all over a knee-jerk reaction?" Duo's eyes were starting to bug out of his head.

"You punched me back," Heero pointed out.

"Knee-jerk reaction," Duo grinned.

Heero glanced at his watch, "We need to get some sleep."

Duo just stared at Heero as he got up from his chair. Heero took off his bomber jacket, finally, and draped it on the back of the chair. Duo stood too, and Heero felt the eyes staring at him.

"What?" Heero asked without turning around. Having those violet eyes trained on you was an eerie feeling, like Duo was looking straight through you.

"Nothing," Duo said roughly. Heero started down the small hallway to the only bedroom. Two cots were set up. Heero took out a toothbrush and went to find the bathroom. When he turned into the hall he nearly ran right into Duo.

Heero did not even have time to react as Duo grabbed him by the upper arms. That touch was like electricity running through him. Duo had touched him before on this night, but those touches did not feel like Duo was trying to reach inside of him, to draw something out of him. He looked up at Duo and saw the mirth and questions there.

"Gonna punch me?" Duo asked, his eyes glittering with mischievousness.

"I'll try not to," Heero said calmly. He closed his eyes and felt Duo's lips on his. He wanted to try, if only this once. He wanted to try to feel the pleasure he knew a kiss could bring. He wanted to try to feel the pleasure he thought a kiss from Duo could bring. Those soft lips were on his without much pressure, not asking for anything. Heero could feel the heat radiating off of Duo, and felt his pulse race. It was warm, and soft, and he felt little electrical sparks travel through his body that he knew had nothing to do with the actual kiss other than it came from Duo. Then Duo let him go and stood back.

"So?" Duo asked softly. The vulnerable look in his eyes told Heero that Duo was expecting anything but the words that tumbled out of Heero's mouth just then.

"Let's get our friends rescued Duo. We cannot afford this right now. But I promise you, if we survive this, I want to try to feel all of this. I want to try to feel all of you," Heero offered a tentative smile and stepped around Duo to reach the bathroom. He heard Duo whistle merrily as he entered the bedroom.

When the lights were all out, and they were both lying in their separate cots, Duo spoke again, "Hey Heero? Do you think that the others are waiting for us to rescue them?"

"No. Duo, they know the risks of being who they are. They are probably just as willing to die as we are," Heero said quietly.

"Let's hope it doesn't come down to that," Duo whispered.

&&&

Duo and Heero sat down the next morning and planned out their attack.

"I need you to rescue them. Since I am better with explosives, I'll make trouble around the compound the distract them. I need to stop by a place I know here before we leave and get some more explosives. We'll go in here," Duo pointed at a sewer access tunnel, "where I think Wufei is probably being held. It's right in between the other buildings, and I think they will probably have split up T and Q. We'll split up then. You will hide until I have the majority of the guards running. I'm going to be all over the place using access tunnels and air ducts. I need you to get from one building to the other and rescue them all. Send them down into the sewers and tell them where to go to get out. Tell them not to wait for us if we do not come out once fifteen minutes have passed. We will need to steal a car and have it waiting for us in the bushes. We need to get to the nearest embassy and get out of there. I am not even going to think about the what-if's and the maybe's. Too much stress, ya know?"

"And what if either of us does not manage to come out after the fifteen minutes?" Heero asked, not really wanting to know the answer, but needing to know.

"Go on without me," Duo said easily. Heero looked at his pinched face and knew that Duo did not like that option at all. But they knew they would possibly die doing this.

"Same here," Heero told him. Duo nodded then looked Heero in the eye.

"I want you to know, here, before we leave, that I very much want to make it through this alive. I want to kiss you again when this is all over, and see what we can make of it. I don't want you to give up Heero. I hope that's enough," Duo looked deep into Heero's eyes before looking down again.

"It's plenty," Heero said with a slight smile. Hell, nothing else was working for him. He had been grasping at straws, trying to live without killing. If Duo wanted to give this situation a try then he was all for it.

Heero thought about everything that had happened overnight, and thought about their unauthorized mission. His job with Preventers would be over after this, he would be dishonorably discharged at the very least for disobeying orders. He thought about the dream, and about Duo dying. He thought about all the variables of this mission and about the inherent risks Duo would be taking on his own. He thought about Duo too. He thought about the kiss they had shared that night a year ago, and about the kiss they had shared just last night. He thought about them together, in every way. These were not unpleasant thoughts. He thought about them sleeping in the same bed, Duo's hair loose around them; them walking together, holding hands; and them making love together. Heero knew the mechanics of the act, or at least he hoped so. Had Duo ever experienced it? He was willing to bet that Duo had. A guy as good looking as Duo could not still be a virgin, right?

Duo was the best friend he had ever had, in comparison to everyone else. He knew they were all his friends, but Duo was the only one he ever felt understood anything about him. He guessed that one of the reasons he had punched Duo was because he could not process the emotions one kiss could produce in him, so he had lashed out.

"Duo, did I ever say I was sorry for punching you?" he asked.

"Nope," Duo replied.

"I am sorry for punching you. I wish I had reacted better," there, that made Heero feel better. He bravely reached out and grabbed Duo's hand, eager for this contact before they landed and the shit hit the fan. Duo just smiled a small smile and closed his eyes.

"Heero, we're all sorry for something," was all he said.

Heero wondered where the crossroads would be, or if there would even be one. Maybe he was just delusional, and the dream meant nothing. But maybe it meant everything. The burden of knowledge was great. They say knowledge is power, and Heero knew that if it ever came down to it that the saying would prove true. He may hold the key to knowing the specifics of Duo's death. And since he held that knowledge in his mind, it would be in his power to use it. He may be in a place to save Duo.

But when? Where? What path would he choose?

Would he even recognize his chance when it came?

&&&

Her heels resounded softly on the floors of the Preventer HQ. She was fighting mad, and she was not going to take shit from any of the ten people she had gathered in the room she was headed to. Maxwell was not to have been a part of this team, but she had needed him to consult on it, damnit! His knowledge of the gundam pilots was invaluable, and his stealth skills were top notch. But no, Maxwell had gone AWOL as of the day before yesterday, when he had left Earth without permission. She knew where he had gone, but by the time she had sent anything out to warn Yuy, they were both gone. Now she was in a difficult position. Was Yuy captured by the enemy, or was he with Maxwell?

"Good morning, gentlemen," she said as she pushed open the door and walked to the front of the room. Blueprints and paperwork were covering tables at the front.

"Lady Une," some of them nodded in greeting, others were too busy reading reports to notice. She cleared her throat, and everyone looked up.

"You ten have been picked to go and rescue agents Barton, Chang, Winner, and possibly Yuy. Yuy is the wildcard. He may be in the company of Agent Maxwell, or he may have been captured. We are not sure. If you see Agent Maxwell, arrest him on sight. Do not give him the opportunity to escape. There has never been a lock invented that he could not pick, so handcuffs alone will not suffice. You will have to guard him. I do not believe he will kill you, but he may be armed and dangerous. Pick up Yuy if Yuy is with him, but do not arrest him, not yet. We do not know exactly what the story is with him yet," Une told them as she started to lay out the mission plans and the routes to use for invasion and escape, "Now, if you will all gather around, I want you to see on this map that there is a sewer tunnel that is going to be your access and your escape…"

&&&

If there was one thing Duo Maxwell would always be remembered for (besides being the best thief in all the colonies), it would be his people skills. He just had a way with people. Even though he was sarcastic and snarky people just seemed to give him what he wanted. Heero thought for sure it must be the braid. It had to be. Or could it be the eyes maybe? Those jewel-like eyes that were wide, expressive, and so enchanting. How many people looked at those eyes and just gave Duo whatever he wanted?

At the moment Duo was using artfully crafted fake I.D. cards to rent them a shuttle bound for L1. As Duo smirked and flirted with the clerk behind the counter, Heero glared and mulled those repeated thoughts about hair and eyes over in his head. People just fell all over themselves to give Duo what he wanted it seemed.

"It must be the hair," Heero reassured himself.

Duo looked over his shoulder at Heero and snickered as he saw that the former pilot was shaking his head as if he did not understand something. It was rare that Heero Yuy was confused about anything. Duo turned back as the clerk cleared her throat.

"Here you go Mr. Ragnarok. I hope you and your boyfriend have a great time on your vacation!" the clerk winked at Duo and Duo winked back as he took the clearance papers and other essentials he and Heero would need for their flight.

"Sure thing doll, thanks a lot," Duo turned and walked back to his partner in crime.

"What was with the head shaking?" Duo asked as he sat down.

"I do not think I will ever understand how you can get people to cooperate with you all the time. They give you whatever you want. How do you do it?" Heero asked sounding mystified for once.

"It's the hair," Duo grinned nastily and flipped his braid over his shoulder.

"I knew it!" Heero muttered. Duo laughed loudly and earned several stares.

"I told the lady behind the counter that you are my boyfriend, Han Masimoto, and that I am whisking you away for a romantic vacation," Duo whispered and kissed Heero's cheek. Heero stared at Duo's back as Duo walked towards the shuttle bays.

Once inside the shuttle they pulled on their black and red flight suits with matching helmets. Duo took the pilot's seat, and Heero sat in the co-pilot's chair.

"Oh yeah baby, time to fly!" Duo was eager as he cleared their launch and started to press various buttons. The doors of the bay opened with creaking movements and then they were off.

Heero leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. Duo had always been the best flyer out of all of them, and Heero knew he could leave him to it. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

A few minutes later he heard Duo engage the auto-pilot and then lean back himself. Heero cracked one of his eyes and looked sideways at Duo.

"The flight is about three hours. I think I'm going to try to get some sleep before we have yet another fight for our lives," Duo said with a yawn.

"Duo?" it was Heero's voice that spoke next.

"Hmm?" Duo's voice was sleepy as he answered.

"Thank you," Heero knew he had never really thanked Duo for probably saving his life. Duo had disobeyed directives and orders to come get him. Duo opened an eye and arched the eyebrow above it. Then he shut his eye again.

"You're welcome buddy. Anytime," he yawned.

Heero decided Duo had the right idea, so he closed his eyes too.

&&&

_"No one can stop it…"_

"Heero?"

_"He will die…"_

_"_Hey, buddy, you awake?"

_"Only you can save him…"_

"Heero!"

Heero sat up straight in his chair. Duo was staring at him in puzzlement as Heero scrubbed his face with his hands.

"What the hell were you muttering about? Were you having a nightmare?" Duo asked.

"Something like that," Heero said evasively. Duo gave him a pointed look and then looked forward again.

"We're about thirty minutes out, I thought you oughta know," Duo told him.

"Status?" Heero asked, back in mission mode even as he shook off the hazy memories of the nightmare. It only served to remind him of what could truly be at stake here.

"We're okay. Fuel's good, no sign of anything hostile or abnormal on the screens, and we have been cleared to dock," Duo stretched in his seat and turned to look at his co-pilot, "Hey Heero? When we land, I want you to know you can still back out of this."

Heero glared daggers at Duo, "And let you die along with the others? No thanks."

"What makes you think I will die? Are you kidding? Death seems to have it in for everyone _but_ me!" Duo laughed and faced forward once more.

Heero replayed the nightmare in his mind once more, thinking on Duo's words. Yes, Death seems to have left Duo alone until now. Now only Heero seemed to have the power to save him. At least that was what the dream had told him. And whether he believed in premonitions or not, he could not take the chance. He did not want to be responsible for a death he could have prevented, and only Duo could help him solve these additional unknowns in his life.

When would he have to make the choice that would damn or save Duo? Would it be something so big he could not ignore it? Would it be something so small he could possibly miss it entirely? He shuddered at the thought of the latter. Heero was no stranger to amazing pressure, but never had his direct actions seemed this important before. He and Duo were so close to figuring out so many answers for themselves that Heero was desperate not to lose that thread. There was too much at risk.

The nightmares about Duo were not the only nocturnal images Heero had seen of him. Duo had made appearances before in his dreams. Good old-fashioned regular dreams. Heero had grown used to seeing his smiling face, or that malicious grin he got when he was about to demolish something. He had dreamt of those wild eyes and that long braid. These were images he had been seeing ever since he had met Duo, and they had never gone away. That was, not until the nightmares began.

Damn it! How does anyone cope with making life or death decisions when it concerns someone they care about? Heero had never been in this situation before, unable to ascertain what the consequences of his every action would mean. He had cared about what happened to Relena, but more in the way of what would happen to the universe if she died. But Duo? Duo was … different. Duo was more than the universe, as if that made any sense.

This was new territory. This was a matter of the heart whether he liked it or not. And in Heero Yuy's world, the heart was a variable he had never had to solve for.

"Heero? We're about to dock," Duo's voice interrupted his inner monologue. Heero looked at those wise and yet humored eyes and knew he had no choice but to be more vigilant than he had ever been.

"All right," Heero acknowledged.

"They'll be okay Heero. We'll get them out," Duo reassured him.

"Yes, but who is going to make sure you get out?" Heero asked without thinking.

"Don't you worry about ol' Shinigami. He always gets his," Duo chuckled with a mirth that did not quite reach his eyes.

"Sure," Heero breathed as they began to dock.

&&&

They cleared the shuttle port without any suspicion and headed for another safe house that Duo knew of. The Preventers had safe houses everywhere it seemed, and Duo knew where just about all of them were. Heero followed silently, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Duo was just invisible, he did not even have to try. They entered an alley and then went through what looked like a broken door. Inside was a high-security door. Duo punched a code into the keypad and waited for the buzz. After a few seconds of silence, Duo swore and stamped his foot.

"Shit!"

"They locked us out, didn't they?" Heero asked.

"Changed the codes. They must know I have you, and that means they know what we are up to," Duo chewed his lower lip and fought back the urge to swear again. He ran his fingers through his bangs and paced the small floorspace.

"We need to get out of here, in case they are looking for us," Heero started for the door and Duo followed. They started to wander in no particular direction until Duo stopped them both.

"I know someone, and they will have what I need. But they will have a price," Duo frowned.

"We can have whatever funds they want in a very quick amount of time. Remember what Preventers had me doing? I know just about every bank system backwards and forwards. I can relieve the Preventers of some funds and pay whatever amount we need for this operation," Heero explained.

"You, Heero Yuy, are one talented guy," Duo grinned.

"I know," Heero joked, and it made Duo laugh loudly.

"Okay, who're you and what did you do with my Heero?" Duo asked in mock shock.

"I'm _your_ Heero now?"

"And don't you forget it mister. Remember, you are my boyfriend and I have spirited you away for this fantasy vacation!" Duo laughed sarcastically and turned right down a busy boulevard, "But seriously, Heero, if someone would have ever told me that you would be flirting with me, let alone talking to me so much; I would have told them that they were just about ready to be zipped up in one of those lovely white strait jackets and taking their one way trip to Camp Imafreakinginsane!"

"Let's just say that time and space have made me think. Not only that, but being that close to being captured when you have given up killing makes a person rethink their priorities. I always knew that one day I would stop being so silent. And I always somehow thought you would be the one to bring it out of me," Heero smirked knowingly as they walked, and for once Duo Maxwell really just did not know what to say.

&&&

They had been walking for some time when they finally reached what looked to be a sensible colony home. Duo walked up the walkway and around the house to the back. Heero followed, his guard up as always. His safety was off the gun he now held in his hands, and he watched Duo's every move out the corner of his eye. Duo walked to the back door and knocked. A lovely young woman with long, blonde hair answered the door.

"Damien! How nice to see you!" her wide hazels eyes were bright as she greeted them excitedly.

"Yvette, can we come inside?" Duo asked, looking around nervously for her benefit.

"Of course!" Yvette stood aside and held the door open for them. Heero walked inside and expected to see a little kitchen. Instead he saw what could double as a base of operations for some sort of militia. Yvette's amiable behavior disappeared once they were safely ensconced in the house, and she looked to be all business. The suit she was wearing seemed to be even more severe now, and Heero was briefly reminded of Lady Une.

"What do you need Maxwell?" she asked with her hands on her hips, and Heero was briefly amazed that she really did know Duo's real name.

"We are kind of on the run from Preventers. We need supplies," Duo explained.

"I'm not sure I want to get tangled up in all that shit. Not only that, but supplies cost money, and the two of you do not look like you have much on you," Yvette said cautiously.

"I can hack enough money to pay whatever price you want," Heero chimed in, and Yvette seemed to really take him in then. She looked him up and down, appraising him.

"Who's this guy?" she asked Duo, cocking a thumb at Heero.

"My partner, Heero," Duo told her.

"He's cute Maxwell," she winked cheekily at Heero.

"He's taken," Duo growled. Yvette threw up her hands to say that she was through with that line of thought and sat down at a computer.

"What do you need?" she asked as she started to go through files.

Duo rattled off an explosives and weaponry list that he must have already had compiled in his mind. Heero stood silently and watched.

"Oh yeah, and a vehicle," Duo added.

"A vehicle?" Yvette arched her eyebrow.

"Preferably a truck or something similar," Duo added.

"That is going to cost you," Yvette shook her head and typed some commands.

"How much and when can you have it?" Duo asked impatiently.

"Duo, I may be fierce, but even I cannot make miracles happen. I need a few hours to get it all here without suspicion. And, it will be a hundred thousand credits," Yvette told them.

"Just give me a place to jack in," Heero told her. A few hours later the money was diverted into a new and untraceable account for Yvette to access, and a well-equipped truck was sitting outside with their supplies.

"Yvette, it has been a pleasure, and I only have one more favor to ask of you. We may come back, we may not. We are going to save three people. They may show up without us. I am going to write down their descriptions, but not their names for security purposes. Will you get them to a shuttle as soon as they get here?" Duo asked as he started to write things down.

"I do not know what you have gotten yourself into, but you had better thank your lucky stars that I like you so much and that I owe you favors," Yvette shook her head and sighed, "Sure. I'll make sure you or they have… whatever."

"Thanks Yvette, you're the best!" Duo kissed the blonde's cheek noisily and followed Heero outside. They gave the new vehicle a once over before getting inside, Duo once again behind the wheel.

"How far do we have to go?" Heero asked as they started to drive.

"About an hour to where we will store this thing. Then about a fifteen minute walk to get to the actual base," Duo told him.

Heero stayed quiet then, planning out things in his mind and watching the city streets as they drove. L1 was a large colony cluster with many sections. It had been the very first one. This part of the cluster was the largest and had been very strategic during OZ's takeover.

"Why does Yvette owe you a favor?" Heero asked suddenly.

"Really wanna know?" Duo asked.

"Yes."

"A while back she got into some trouble with Preventers. I had been in contact with her before for information and supplies when needed. When she got in trouble I pulled some strings and got her out of trouble. She is a very loyal person. Once you have her trust she would die before betraying you. I've been there more than once in the past when I was running from someone or in need of something. She has never let me down," Duo smiled fondly, "I guess you could call her a friend."

"Everyone's your friend," Heero pointed out.

"Not true. Someone people need to think they are, and some just want to think they are. That's something I allow them to believe to make my life easier. But I only have a handful of people I consider to be true friends. Screw the rest," Duo explained.

Another fact Heero did not know about Duo Maxwell. He added it to the list.

"She liked you. Yvette, I mean," Duo told him.

"What?"

"She was hot for you. She's got a boyfriend of course, but she would have made a move despite that if I hadn't been there," Duo's voice sounded amused.

"Too bad she's not my type, huh?" Heero laughed softly.

"Am I your type, Heero Yuy?" Duo asked.

"If I have a type, I assure you that you're it," Heero told his partner truthfully. He had never been attracted to anyone but Duo, so he had to assume that his type was the Duo Maxwell type.

"Ah, don't start talking purdy now!" Duo laughed.

"Duo, let's just get our friends rescued. Then we can explore anything we want. We will be out of our jobs by then anyway," Heero shrugged.

"Amen to that. Okay, so we save our friends, don't get captured ourselves, get back to Earth, face a disciplinary board, and then you'll sweep me off my feet?" Duo asked curiously.

"Well, we will see about the sweeping. But yes, that is the plan in a nutshell," Heero agreed.

Don't get captured ourselves. Heero repeated that mantra in his mind, mindful of the warnings his dreams had issued once more.

&&&

Duo finally pulled off onto an unmarked trail, just big enough for their vehicle.

"Recon gave me the info, even if they were not aware of doing so," Duo smirked as he drove through the thick bush. Heero watched the colony grown trees speed by, brushing their vehicle indiscriminately. They went through more than one large puddle and finally came to a stop next to a rather wimpy looking weeping willow tree.

"How far to walk again?" Heero asked after hefting his small pack onto his back.

"Fifteen minutes, or thereabouts, about seven at a run. I hope you're ready for this Yuy. We're betting the whole pot with only the cards we've been dealt, and I'm pretty good at poker but the odds here suck ass" Duo was trying to give Heero an out, but Heero wouldn't back down now.

"So we are headed to the sewer access tunnel, then up to reach where we think Wufei may be, correct?" at Duo's nod Heero continued, "From there we will split up. I will hide until you start setting off the explosives to distract the guards and then I will work to free the other two pilots. Work fast, and get out through the same sewer access. Are we ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," Duo grinned menacingly, and Heero knew it was time. He grabbed Duo by the collar and kissed him briefly on the lips.

"Don't you dare die on me," Heero threatened.

"I don't plan on it," Duo said with an evil smirk.

The two started to run through the brush at a brisk pace. Hopefully this guy really was a madman who had no clue what he was doing. Hopefully this guy had no idea what he had gotten into. They all needed a stroke of sheer luck to get through this alive and in one piece.

&&&

Quatre Raberba Winner looked up from his shackled spot on the ground at the guard in front of him with an understanding in his bloodshot eyes, "I know you are only doing what you are commanded to do. Believe me, I can understand that. But can't you see that what you are doing is wrong? Your commander is wrong!"

"Hey kid, I follow orders. My orders are to keep you weak and beat up until the ransom comes through," the burly guard said roughly as he punched Quatre in the jaw again. Quatre tasted blood, and not for the first time that day either.

"The Preventers do not pay ransoms. We do not negotiate with terrorists," Quatre repeated, for what seemed to be the millionth time. He winced as his ribs started to ache again and also because he could feel that one of his friends was also in pain somewhere nearby, "What other pilots do you have here?"

"Shut up!" the guard yelled as he kicked Quatre in his injured ribs. Quatre did not let a single tear escape as he quieted down. He would not give this guard the satisfaction of seeing him cry. He once again tried to jiggle loose the post that his handcuffs were threaded through to no avail.

&&&

Wufei sat in his cell, chained to the wall by both his hands and feet. The guard had learned to chain his feet after the first hour or so, when he had consistently landed kicks to sensitive parts of his anatomy. The guards had been switching in shifts, and some had been beating him routinely since he had gotten here, but he never said a word. He just sat there and took it, meditating and praying to Nataku that he would be set free before they executed him. He was not afraid to die. But he would like to die a warrior's death rather than dying a prisoner of a raving madman who did not know how to even properly distribute guards.

He knew that Preventers would not pay the ransom the idiot leader of this group had requested, but that still did not help erase the sting of them not even trying a rescue at all. It would be so easy. The man who led this rabble was insane, and his one good lieutenant was still out on a mission. Wufei thought about whether or not he was the only one here. He was not too sure. They could have one or more of the other pilots. What if they had them all?

&&&

Trowa was much the same: silent and accepting. He stood against the wall, chained tightly. The guards had become quite fond of hitting him with a wooden cane. He did not care about that however. He had no idea what other pilots were here, or even if any of them were here. He was not stupid, he knew that they must be. Unless it was personal the enemies had always been after all of them, not being content with just one of them. He could only hope Quatre was not among them. He felt lucky that the guards were not the type who liked boys like the gundam pilots. Damned lucky. He sighed and looked out the small window of his cell. Was he ever going to get out of here or would he die here without Quatre?

That thought pained him to no end, even more than the whacks with the wooden cane.

&&&

"Money money money money!" Boris Abelev sang out as he sat at the desk in his large, makeshift office. Diego and Garrett, his bodyguards, stared on impassively. They only got paid to protect the man. It did not mean they had to like him. The man was crazy and had no clue as to what he was doing. The two men had silently agreed that the man had just been full of dumb luck to capture those three pilots without incident. He was a crazy genius with no eye for tactical maneuvers. If not for the Lieutenant the plan would not have been possible at all. They all knew that she was the brains behind this operation. The Preventers had told Boris they would not pay the ransom. He should have shot all the pilots then and there, but in his warped mind he still thought they would pay, so he waited it out. The two hired thugs knew he would slip up eventually. They could only hope their lieutenant would make it back before the man ruined everything.

"Have they called yet?" Boris asked as he stopped mid-spin.

"No, Sir. They have not," Diego informed him.

"They will call!" Boris insisted.

The two bodyguards shared a knowing look and then stared forward again. This man's money and connections were all that kept him alive. When was the Lieutenant due back again?

And of course, due to the selfsame tactical ineptness that the bodyguards bemoaned, no one even had thought to set a sensor at the entrance to the sewer access tunnel. The perfect escape route and it was completely unguarded.

&&&

"A shower. A nice, long, hot shower," Duo moaned in a whisper.

"Well, wading through shit will do that to you," Heero said seriously. It stunk to high heaven in here. But it was a sewer, so he was not surprised. Duo had already thrown up once, but Heero could hardly blame him. Flies bit at what skin was visible, and Heero was, for not the last time, grateful that pain was a minor nuisance to him.

Duo mumbled the whole way about getting shit on his braid and on his clothing. Heero told him that it would not matter once they got moving for real. It was only on the lower half of their bodies, after all. Duo stopped speaking altogether when they reached the hatch that blocked the access ladder. Heero turned the heavy steel bars and opened the hatch. A small ladder led up to a lit hallway that could be seen through a smaller steel floor grate. Heero used hand signals to indicate that he would go first, then he started to climb. Right underneath the grate in the floor he stopped. All seemed silent in this corridor. Heero lifted the grate and climbed the rest of the way up. Duo followed and they replaced the grate quickly and quietly.

"Once we get Wufei out I will head out to start setting charges and the such. Once the blasts start happening and guards start running, go in the opposite direction and find the other two pilots," Duo told him.

"I know the plan Duo. I know. Just make it out in one piece," Heero glared at Duo to let him know he meant business. The blueprints had denoted that there was a cell in this hallway. Heero and Duo walked opposite ways until Duo waved Heero over to one about ten feet down from the grate.

"Hey Wu!" Duo whispered. Wufei's head shot up. Heero knelt and worked the lock with Duo's set of picks. The locks were old and not very sound. This was beginning to look too easy. Was it really going to be this easy? The door unlocked with a rusty clang, and then Heero rushed in while Duo kept watch.

"Are you functional?" Heero asked.

"Stupid assholes may have locked me up, but they have not injured me that badly Yuy," Wufei snorted as Heero undid the shackles. Plain steel. If Heero had been here he would have been able to break these easily. Wufei stood and rubbed his ankles and wrists to get rid of some of the ache.

"Time to go Wufei," Heero walked out of the cell and back to the access grate. He lifted it up and Wufei started down the ladder, "Go back out this tunnel, and head towards the forest you can see to the West. There is a truck waiting there. When Quatre and Trowa get there wait fifteen minutes. If we do not come out, leave without us. You got that?"

"Got it," Wufei knew better than to ask questions.

"This is where we split up," Duo smiled regretfully, "Good luck."

Heero watched as Duo jogged away. Heero slipped into the empty cell and waited.

&&&

When Heero heard the very first explosion, he tensed as he waited for the trampling of feet. Duo had been right: these people were not properly trained. They all left their posts. They even walked right by the closed but unlocked cell door Wufei had been behind. OZ officers would never have been so stupid. Heero ran in the direction the soldiers had come from until he came to the sewer grate that would lead him into the next building. It would be a fifty-foot run in the open unless he lowered himself. So he did, climbing down into the mucky sewers once again. After opening another hatch he ran through the water and found the hatch and grate that would lead him into the building that held another pilot.

This time the cell was around a few corners and down a few corridors. But the place was nearly deserted. Heero spotted a guard that was leaning lazily against a support post. He sneaked up on him silently and snapped his neck with one quick motion. With a crack the guard fell down. Heero dragged him to a utility room and shoved him in. As an afterthought he grabbed the guard's keys.

Trowa was alert and attentive as Heero opened the door with the keys the dead guard had so kindly provided.

"Quatre?" Trowa asked.

"Two buildings over. I am after him next," Heero and Trowa never needed many words between them. Trowa followed him to the grate. Together they ran through the water and back to the building where Wufei had been held. When they reached the grate that led into their entrance/exit, Heero repeated the instructions.

"I'm not leaving without Quatre," Trowa insisted.

"I will get Quatre out. Don't wait for me. If Duo comes, leave. But I won't leave without Duo," Heero told him. Trowa disappeared into the dark of the sewers, and Heero made for the same empty cell.

The explosions took longer this time. Sirens started to go off throughout the compound. They had been discovered, but by the time the enemy figured it all out it would be too late. Heero waited for the trampling of feet to stop once again. He drew his handgun and made for the next building. He had no choice but to climb through air ducts for this one. He shimmied through them quickly, making like some kind of snake. The vent he needed to exit by was a hallway away from Quatre's cell. He pushed down until the vent shield fell to the floor. Someone shouted as he dropped to the cement floor.

"Hey!" Two guards yelled at once. Heero shot them both between the eyes before the two could even remove their guns from their holsters. They dropped like bricks, and Heero ran for Quatre's cell. He unlocked it quickly.

"Heero!" Quatre sounded a little hoarse, but Heero knew by the blonde's smile that he would be okay. He undid the shackles and Quatre stood.

"Are you functional?" Heero asked.

"Sure," Quatre laughed weakly. They walked back to the vent, and Heero lifted Quatre up into it. Quatre helped Heero get in with one of his arms, and they both shimmied down the duct as quietly as possible. When they reached the sewer grate, Quatre gave Heero a searching look.

"I am not leaving without him. I am waiting here. If you go down, Trowa is waiting for you. Follow the sewers out and then to the forest in the West. Wufei is probably already there waiting for the two of you. If we are not there when you have been there for fifteen minutes, leave without us. If Duo gets there before me, then leave. Good luck," Heero clapped Quatre on the shoulder before helping him down. Quatre did not say anything. He knew it would not change Heero's mind.

Heero slipped into Wufei's empty cell and started to wait.

&&&

Heero had his gun drawn and was ready to shoot before the door even opened. Duo quickly slipped inside, panting for air. Heero looked him over in the dim light. His clothes were covered in soot, his hair too. The braid had wisps that had escaped, and there was blood on one sleeve of his black shirt. He was cursing a stream of profanity that would have made any one else's ears burn.

"Would you believe I scraped against some exposed piping?" Duo growled softly as he looked disdainfully at the wound.

"So what now? It has been more than fifteen minutes now. The others are already gone. We are going to have to find our own way out of this place," Heero informed him. He was so glad Duo had only caught himself on some exposed pipe. He swore he could dance a jig now knowing Duo has survived while away from him. Maybe sticking by him was not so necessary. Maybe that was not the choice.

"Yeah, I know. I guess we will just go down the sewer tunnel and make our way back somehow. Sorry buddy, but we might have to hide out in the forest for a little bit. You in the mood for roughing it until the heat is over?" Duo inquired.

"I can handle it. Let's get down the sewer," Heero suggested. Inside he wanted to cheer, but something told him that this was not over yet. It could not have been this easy. Would he really have forfeited Duo's life if he had not been here? Was this what the dream had been talking about?

The sewers were as nasty as before. They waded through it though, until they peeked around a corner. They both recoiled as they saw the shadowy figured stalking through the muck.

"Shit! The enemy figured it out! At least the others got out," Duo muttered.

"I knew it couldn't have been that easy!" Heero hissed. They both went back the way they came, this exit was compromised. They went up the ladder and through the grates as quickly as they could. They climbed out after haphazardly replacing the grate, and made their way out of the building.

When they saw the lines of troops outside the buildings, they knew they were in trouble.

"Fuck!" Duo cursed. Coming up behind them was the enemy, and in front of them was the enemy. Walls all around, no way out. Heero cursed a string of epithets in his mind and quickly analyzed the situation. It did not look good. Then …

"Preventers! Freeze!" the group behind them called out. Duo and Heero turned around and looked at the people they had first thought were the enemy down in the sewer in shock.

"You guys are idiots, you know that? Why don't you just announce your presence to the whole fucking compound?" Duo growled.

"Agent Duo Maxwell, we are placing you under arrest, and we are also to take protective custody of Agent Yuy. Please cooperate – " the man was cut off when Duo slammed a fist into his gut.

"Hell no, I won't cooperate! Don't you see how many troops are out there?"

The man coughed and looked out into the courtyard, "But, intelligence told us there were not this many, that this would be an easy in and out rescue…"

"The other pilots have already been rescued and are out of harm's way. I will not tell you where, so do not ask. If we work together, then maybe we can get out of this," Heero tried to reason with the leader of this group, but the man had none of it. He pointed his weapon at Heero.

"I am following orders. The two of you are to cooperate and stay out of it! Handcuff Agent Maxwell and Agent Yuy!" he barked to his second. The man started to make his way over to them when there was a shout, and gunshots rang out all of a sudden.

"There they are!"

"Get them!"

"Don't let them escape, any of them!"

It was chaos. Heero stuck next to Duo, and they found a crate big enough to hide behind. They started picking off the enemy's troops one by one, hitting them with lethal shots. The other Preventers were trying to hit them with all they had. A woman, redheaded and tall, was calling out orders on the enemy side. They had about seventy-five troops out there, and she was their commander.

"What is this, behind every insane and stupid mastermind there is a freaking brilliant lieutenant? Where did she come from, anyways?" Duo asked incredulously.

"Shut up Duo!" Heero snapped as he fired off another couple of rounds. It became evident that the Preventers were not having the best luck. Heero grabbed Duo and they both jetted inside an empty building.

"Where are we going?" Duo asked as they huffed down the hall and then up some stairs.

"To the roof. You still have some explosives, correct?" Heero asked. He had no idea where that woman lieutenant had come from or her troops, but he assumed they must have been the ones sent to get him. They must have just returned from that failed mission.

"Sure do! I think I know what you're thinking and I like it!" Duo told him. They finally hit the roof access. The firefight, one-sided as it was, was still going on. The Preventers had lost a couple of people to gunfire, but they were the better shots overall. Duo took a grenade out of his bag and pulled the pin. With a hefty toss, it landed in the middle of the enemy's lines. Duo chortled with glee as several troops went flying.

"That's right baby! Shinigami will kill you all!" Duo laughed as he threw another grenade. When it exploded Heero expected Duo to laugh again, but when he collapsed Heero started to panic.

"Duo? Damnit! Baka!" Heero knelt to check him out. Duo had taken a bullet to the thigh at some point, probably downstairs. Heero cursed himself for not seeing it before. But there was also a wound to the right shoulder and right bicep, making Duo's arm hang at a terribly unnatural angle. Heero laid him down and put his own backpack beneath his head. Duo needed medical attention desperately, but Heero could not do anything about it right now. Those Preventers needed his help, and he was going to be damned no matter what. With murder in his eyes Heero stood, holding the arsenal of explosives.

Coldly, he threw one of Duo's homemade impact bombs at the troops below. He watched emotionlessly as they died. The enemy now only had less than twenty troops due to gunfire and explosives. It was not going to end like this. Duo was not going to die. The redheaded woman was still yelling directions at her troops. Heero raised the rifle he had pilfered off a guard and took aim. Even on his worst day, Heero Yuy was just about the best marksman in the universe. He took aim and fired. The redhead dropped, crimson mixing with the copper of her hair.

The enemy was in disarray. Heero threw another bomb, and half of them died as they moved closer together.

"Surrender!" Heero shouted from the roof.

Their hands went up, and it was over. The remaining eight Preventer agents that were not injured made a sweep. Whoever the man was that had run this operation was gone, probably evacuated while they were distracted, but otherwise the place was clean. When Heero came down the stairs with the unconscious Duo in his arms an agent informed him that he was shot himself in the leg and chest. Heero did not even feel the bullet, or the pain of it.

"We need to get Agent Maxwell to a hospital. Get me whatever first aid they had here so I can patch him up as best as I can. Do it now!" he yelled.

The transport chopper showed up minutes later. Heero insisted on carrying Duo into it, and would not let anyone else touch him. He held Duo close to him, and felt for his pulse. He touched Duo's hair gently and kissed his lips. He would never remember everything he said during this time; it was all a blur. When they landed at the hospital and the doctors came running for them, Heero finally relinquished his ward.

"Duo, please, don't die on me. Please, did I make the wrong choice? Please say I made the right choice. I cannot have made the wrong choice."

When Heero collapsed to the ground he was immediately scooped up and put on a gurney. It would be two days before he woke up again.

&&&

Heero's eyes fluttered open. He had been awake briefly earlier. When the nurse had come in, he had asked after Duo. He must have passed out again after that. This time he was not alone; Quatre was in the room with him, looking fit as ever.

"Quatre. How are you?" Heero asked.

"Thanks to the two of you, fine. I am glad to see you are awake," Quatre smiled gently, "You gave us quite the scare. Yvette says hi."

"So you got to her in one piece?" Heero asked.

"Yes. We hated leaving you there, but we knew you were serious about us leaving. We missed those Preventer agents by mere minutes," Quatre informed him.

"Idiots," Heero growled.

"Well, Duo jumped the gun apparently. Two days after he left Une formed that team to rescue us. He got impatient and could not wait. He is going to be court marshaled when he is released."

"Why would Duo not wait for the final word on the matter?" Heero asked.

"Heero, he was worried about you. He did not want them getting their hands on you, so he jumped the gun. He risked it all for you. And you risked it all for him, didn't you?" Quatre inquired.

Heero hesitated before opening his mouth again, "I had these dreams. In my dreams, Duo was dead. In the dreams, they told me that I was the only one who could save him. I took the dream to heart. I followed my emotions. My emotions told me to go with him, save him, and maybe one day…"

"Duo has been hung up on you for a number of years now, Heero. Did you only just come to realize that you are just as infatuated?" Quatre always could cut through to the heart of the matter.

"Is he okay?" Heero changed tactics. The other conversation was getting him nowhere and was making him uncomfortable. He still was not sure where he and Duo were going.

"His right arm is being rebuilt. He lost a lot of blood. But yes, Heero, you got him here just in time. He's alive, if still unconscious. Do you want me to get your doctor for you?"

"He's alive, I didn't fail," Heero said softly, and then nodded to Quatre.

&&&

_Heero walked around the rose garden with Odin Lowe, his blond hair streaked with gray. His suit was freshly pressed, and even though this was a dream, Heero was sure he could smell the cologne his mentor used to use._

_"Why am I here?" Heero asked as he looked around._

_Odin gestured to a small table and chairs, "Sit please, Heero."_

_Heero sat and awaited his answers._

_"You are here so that I can make something clear to you. You followed my parting advice to you, correct? And it helped to save the life of the one you love, right?"_

_"Do I love him?" Heero asked._

_"You know you do. Dreamers only dream the strongest dreams when love is at stake. You always were a dreamer, Heero, deep down inside. Duo brings that dreamer out in you. Tell me Heero, what choice did you have to make to save Duo's life?" Odin asked, leaning his head on one hand._

_"I am still not completely sure, to tell the truth. I never examined it. I did not think twice. I followed my instincts, and they led me to where I am now. Duo is alive, and that is what matters," Heero was convinced of that._

_"Would you be totally thrown off then if I told you that the choice you had to make took place way before that?"_

_"I do not think anything could surprise me any more right now," Heero surmised._

_"You remembered the dream, and heeded its warning. Most people would have shrugged it off. But you, you followed your emotions and decided that the dream was something worth worrying about. In that moment, you saved Duo Maxwell. When you started to genuinely fear for his life, you saved him. And you may not realize it, but you saved your own as well," Odin told his young protégé._

_"How so?" Heero asked._

_"I'm not at liberty to say. Time to wake up, Heero Yuy. Time to face the music."_

Heero woke up and tried to move his arms. The first thing he noticed was that he had been handcuffed to the bed. And while he could very easily break them, he decided that it would be stupid to do that just now. He was not on any machines other than the IV now, and Wufei was sitting in the chair next to his bed.

"Chang," Heero greeted him.

"Heero. I am guessing you will want to know about the handcuffs?" Wufei stood and walked over to the bed.

"Court marshal?" Heero guessed. Wufei nodded.

"You are going to be released later today. Then you will be on house arrest until the trial. Duo is due to be released in another two weeks. The trial will go from there. The two of you are going to be tried together. We are going to do all we can, but I am afraid there is little we can do to stop you two from losing your jobs," Wufei said sadly.

"Are they going to let me see Duo before the trial?" Heero asked.

"I am afraid not. He has woken up once or twice and asked about you. He is doing okay. He is going to need some physical therapy once the court marshal is over. Quatre has offered to pay for it," Wufei placed one of his hands on Heero's, "Yuy, I never did say thank you for rescuing us, even if it may have been unnecessary."

"I would not have done it any other way," Heero told his Chinese friend.

&&&

"We now convene this special court martial in the matter of Captains Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell. Are the accused parties and their respective legal counsels present and accounted for?" Vice Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft called out. She was the only person available who had the political standing to head up a committee for a special court martial. It was the first high profile court martial for the still fledgling agency, and was an important event.

"We are ma'am," both accused parties said at once. Heero and Duo looked at each other from their respective tables in front of the committee. The looks that passed between the two of them were electric and disconcerting.

Relena looked to her right and saw Former OZ Colonel Une, now Lady Une and head of Preventers. To her left she saw Major Sally Po, Heero and Duo's commanding officer before the incident. Next to Sally was Sampson Arikawa, who was head of the minor disciplinary cases within Preventers. Together they made up the committee that would decide the fate of both Heero and Duo.

"The charges are as follows in the case of Duo Maxwell: abandonment of duty, disobeying a direct order, and resisting arrest. In the case of Heero Yuy: abandonment of duty and resisting arrest. Both are charged with obstruction. How do you plead, gentlemen?" Relena asked. She hated doing this. She knew they did not deserve this, but they could not just go lightly on them.

Heero and Duo shared a look between them. Heero smirked, and Duo smiled, "Guilty as charged," they said in unison.

The small courtroom tittered with nervous conversation. Relena held her hand up and they all grew quiet.

"What do you have to say to explain your actions?"

Duo cleared his throat and stepped slightly forward, "I pleaded guilty because I did do everything that you guys have accused me of. I did disobey orders. I did abandon my post, not that it was all that exciting anyway. I did resist arrest because I did not see why I was being arrested. I can't break my cuffs anytime I want, and I was not going to let those agents cuff me. Good thing too, because if I'd let them cuff me, we would all be dead. All I can say is that if I had to do it all over again, " Duo spared a look at Heero, "I would without hesitation. I had to choose between friendship and duty. My love for my friends wins out no matter how I look at it."

Heero stepped forward as Duo stepped back, "I had a choice to make. I did what I should have always done: I followed my emotions. I did what my heart told me to do for once. I had to choose between love," Heero smiled wryly at a content looking Duo, "and duty. I chose love. I would never make any other choice. You can do what you need to do to us for disobeying you, but know that no matter how you shape it, I have no regrets," Duo just stared at Heero with his face lit up, like he had been given a great gift. Heero stared back, not caring if anyone saw.

"Do the two of you realize that if you had just waited another day or two you would not have had to go through this?" Lady Une asked.

"Lady, there was nothing said to me. I acted on instinct. I knew they would go after Heero, even though you swore they would not be crazy enough to. I was right, they did try, and they missed us by less than a minute. I rescued Heero in time, and then we rescued our friends. We nearly killed ourselves in the process. Like I said, I would not change what we did," Duo told them seriously.

"You will be taken back to your holding cell until we can decide what your punishment will be," Relena told the pair. She hated to do this. Granted, her childhood crush had receded with time, but she still felt some kinship with Heero and it tore her heart to have to make these kinds of decisions regarding his life. Those two boys were heroes, and had done their best to help people in need.

Back in the holding cell Heero and Duo sat together, waiting for the officers to bring them back for the verdict. They sat close together, their thighs and arms touching.

"Heero? Did you really have to choose between love and duty?" Duo asked timidly.

"No," Heero answered.

"You lied?" Duo did not like lying.

"Not exactly," Heero said enigmatically.

"What choice did you have to make, Heero?"

"An easy one, when it came down to it," Heero smirked.

"Come on! Tell me!" Duo pleaded.

"I spent years deciding on duty alone. But this time, there was something else that spurred me to action," Heero grabbed Duo's hand impulsively and twined their fingers together affectionately.

"Heero?" Duo asked, uncertainty and hope shining in his eyes.

The moment was broken when the guards came back to take them back to the courtroom.

&&&

"Captains Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell, this committee has decided your punishment will be this: You are now to be honorably discharged from Preventers. You will have complete benefits and severance packages as befit your history both with this organization and before this organization. Your service to the Earth and the colonies in the past was a big factor in our decision. You are still heroes gentlemen, no matter how far you were lead astray during this mission. You are now both private citizens. You are dismissed," Relena intoned, and she was then lead from the room by her entourage. Heero and Duo grinned at each other and shook hands with their lawyers with promises to arrange payment later on. Heero took the initiative to grab Duo's hand as they walked out. Duo looked at Heero with some trepidation, but then smiled softly to show that he did not mind the contact in the least.

"What about our friends?" Duo asked.

"They will call us soon, not to worry," Heero assured him. They started to walk down the street, and Duo pulled Heero to a stop by his hand.

"I want to know what choice you had to make," Duo held firm as he waited for his answer.

"All you need to know is that when it came time to make a decision, I chose you. You over everything else," Heero said softly as he stroked Duo's cheek with his free hand, "and that's all that really matters, isn't it?"

"So, you're willing to give this a try?" Duo asked, glancing down at their joined hands.

"How do you define this?" Heero asked him, staring at the same set of hands. Tanned fingers entwined with bisque porcelain ones, both sets of nails rough and ragged from hard work and neglect, fingers and palms callused from their lives as pilots and officers.

"This, my friend, can be the answer to all our questions and more. We've got nothing better to do, right? What do you say? Gonna punch my lights out if I kiss ya?"

"More like punch your lights out if you don't," Heero growled. He cupped Duo's face with his hands and kissed him gently, where anyone and everyone could see.

But in that moment he was following his emotions. Emotions had led him to this point, and the dreams of Duo dying were over. A different type of dream was about to begin, one in which his emotions held the key to everything under the sun and over the moon. Duo would help him make his choices now, and that was a dream he hoped never to wake from.

- The End -


End file.
